Talking Points

As the leading advocate for private property rights, homeownership and housing, NAR’s issues are often closely aligned with those affecting consumers.

The real estate industry faces a number of challenges in the next few years; these challenges offer NAR and its REALTOR® members a unique opportunity to directly engage the public to build a consumer advocacy network around the issues that will impact home buyers, sellers and investors.

Building a meaningful, long-term relationship with consumers is essential to support homeownership, real estate investment, and the very future of the real estate industry.

NAR engages consumers online, over the airwaves and in their communities to educate them about ways in which public policies may affect homeownership in this country, as well as the ability to buy and sell a home.

NAR wants consumers to know about the “Power of R” – that REALTORS® are working on their behalf to protect homeownership and support their communities.

Extend the REALTOR®’s role as a trusted advisor to consumers beyond the buy and sell transaction to the lifecycle of homeownership

Enhance the value of the REALTOR® brand

Leverage the common interests of REALTORS® and home owners to augment the power of national, state and local public advocacy efforts

National communication outreach and engagement resources include:

Direct-to-consumer e-mails

Social media engagement

Media outreach

Advertising (TV, radio, and digital)

Online, mobile and radio outreach

The issue isn’t whether someone chooses to rent or buy today; it’s whether they’ll be able to become homeowners in the future.

REALTORS® believe anyone who is able and willing to assume the responsibilities of owning a home should have the opportunity to pursue that dream.

NAR’s consumer-facing resources keep the public up-to-speed on market trends, legislative and regulatory actions, and financial developments that affect them.

Real Estate Today and HouseLogic provide advice and resources to help consumers engage in their communities and get involved in neighborhood and homeownership issues that matter most to them, like establishing a neighborhood watch program, building a playground, or participating in city or county planning efforts.

You can visit HouseLogic at www.houselogic.com, or followHouseLogic on Facebook and Twitter. HouseLogic helps homeowners make smart decisions and take responsible actions to maintain, protect and enhance the value of their homes.

You can listen to Real Estate Today online at www.RETRadio.com or on the air on 200 affiliates across the country. Real Estate Todayprovides the latest real estate news and information, presenting expert advice on buying, selling and owning a home, as well as in-depth discussions on key issues, including housing legislation, mortgage availability, and the benefits of working with a REALTOR®.

Background

NAR launched HouseLogic in November 2009. The site has a sustained audience of more than 600,000 visitors per month and approximately 60,000 engaged Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

HouseLogic gives REALTORS® a way to maintain and sustain consumer relationships with tools they can use with their customers and clients through the REALTOR® Content Resource.

Launched in February 2009, Real Estate Today offers a fast-paced talk radio format that includes the week’s top real estate news, field reports and customizable segments on local market conditions.

Real Estate Today can be heard in approximately 200 radio markets and has a cumulative monthly audience of about 7.5 million listeners. An additional 400,000 consumers hear the show digitally each month, at www.retradio.com and via podcasts on iTunes and Android platforms. The show is also available to NAR members as an embedded audio player, which thousands of REALTORS® have added to their business websites at no charge.

Real Estate Today and HouseLogic are components of NAR’s broad consumer outreach strategy, which is aimed at building a direct relationship with consumers on behalf of its REALTOR® members, and also includes radio ads, national broadcast and cable TV, direct-to-consumer outreach, social media and earned media news stories.

In 2012, NAR launched a direct-to-consumer communications campaign using e-mails and browser ads to educate consumers about public policies that affect homeownership in this country, and to begin building a network of consumers to support homeownership issues.

The outreach campaign, designed to help support housing issues and maintain current federal, state and local incentives for homeownership, is the first time NAR has marshaled all of its consumer-focused communications to advocate public policies that encourage homeownership and real estate investment.

The campaign aims to reach the U.S.’s 75 million current homeowners and the roughly 5 million renters who aspire to become homeowners.